There is known NFV (Network Functions Virtualization) or the like configured to implement a network apparatus and so on in software, using a virtualization technology that virtualizes hardware resources (computing, storage, network functions and so on) of a server by a virtual machine (VM: Virtual Machine) implemented on a virtualization layer (Virtualization Layer) such as a hypervisor (HyperVisor) on the server. The NFV is implemented, based on a MANO (Management & Orchestration) architecture, for example. FIG. 1 is a diagram cited from FIG. 5.1 (The NFV-MANO architectural framework with reference points) on page 23 of Non Patent Literature 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, VNF (Virtualized Network Function) corresponds to an application or the like running on a virtual machine (VM) on a server, and implements a network function in software. As VNF, MME (Mobility Management Entity), S-GW (Serving Gateway), P-GW (PDN Gateway), and so forth on EPC (Evolved Packet Core) that is a core network of LTE (Long Term Evolution) network may be implemented by software (virtual machine). In the example of FIG. 1, a management function referred to as EM (Element Manager: element management) is provided for each VNF, for example.
NFVI (Network Function Virtualization Infrastructure) that constitutes an implementation infrastructure of each VNF is an infrastructure that allows hardware resources of a physical machine (server) such as computing, storage, and network functions to be flexibly handled as virtualized hardware resources such virtualized computing, virtualized storage, virtualized network, and so on which have been virtualized using a virtualization layer such as a hypervisor.
NFV MANO (Management & Orchestration) includes an NFV-Orchestrator (NFVO), a VNF-manager (VNFM), and a Virtualized Infrastructure Manager (VIM).
The NFV-Orchestrator (NFVO) performs orchestration of NFVI resources and lifecycle management (such as Instantiation, Scaling, Termination, and Update of each NS instance) of NSs (Network Services). The NFV-Orchestrator also performs management of an NS catalog (NSD/VLD/VNFFGD) and a VNF catalog (VNFD/VM images/manifest files, etc.), and includes a repository of NS instances and a repository of the NFVI resources.
The VNF-Manager (VNFM) performs VNF lifecycle management (such as instantiation, update, query, scaling, termination, etc.) and event notification.
The virtualized Infrastructure Manager (VIM) performs control of the NFVI (such as computing, storage, network resource management, fault monitoring of the NFVI being the implementation infrastructure of the NFV, and monitoring of resource information) through the virtualization layer.
OSS (Operations Support Systems) are a generic term for systems (such as apparatuses, software, and schemes) necessary for telecommunications carriers (carriers) to construct and manage services, for example. BSS (Business Support systems) are a generic term for information systems (such as apparatuses, software, and schemes) to be used for accounting for and charging of a usage charge and handling of a customer by the telecommunications carriers.
The NS Catalogue (NS catalog: an NS Catalogue in FIG. 1) represents repository of network Services. NS Catalogue supports creation and management of NS deployment templates (Network Service Descriptor (NSD), Virtual Link Descriptor (VLD), and VNF Forwarding Graph Descriptor (VNFFGD)).
The VNF catalog (VNF catalog: a VNF Catalogue in FIG. 1) represents repository of VNF packages. The VNF catalog supports creation and management of each VNF package of a VNF Descriptor (VNFD), a software image, a manifest file and so forth.
The NFV instance repository (NFV instances Repository: NFV Instances in FIG. 1) holds information of all VNF instances and Network Service instances. Each VNF instance and each NS instance are represented respectively by a VNF record and by an NS record. Those records are updated during a lifecycle of the respective instances, reflecting changes resulting from execution of NS lifecycle management operations and/or VNF lifecycle management operations.
The NFVI resources repository (NFVI Resources Repository: NFVI Resources in FIG. 1) holds information on available (available)/reserved (reserved)/allocated (allocated) resources as extracted by the VIM across operator's infrastructure domains.
Referring to FIG. 1, a reference point Os-Nfvo is a reference point between the OSS (Operation Service Systems)/BSS (Business Service Systems) and the NFVO, and is used for forwarding a lifecycle management request of each network service, a VNF lifecycle management request, state information associated with NFV, exchange of policy management information, and so on.
A reference point Vi-Vnfm is used for a resource allocation request from VNFM and exchange of virtualized resource configuration and state information.
A reference point Ve-Vnfm-em is used between the EM and the VNFM for VNF instantiation, VNF instance retrieval, VNF instance update, VNF instance termination, VNF instance scaling-out/in, VNF instance scaling-up/down, forwarding of configuration and events from EM to VNFM, and notification of configuration and events regarding the VNF from VNFM to EM, and so on.
A reference point Ve-Vnfm-Vnf is used between the VNF and the VNFM for VNF instantiation, VNF instance retrieval, VNF instance update, VNF instance termination, VNF instance scaling-out/in, VNF instance scaling-up/down, forwarding of configuration and events from VNF to VNFM, and notification of configuration and events regarding VNF from VNFM to VNF, and so on.
A reference point Nf-Vi is used for VM allocation with indication of compute/storage resource, update of VM resources allocation, VM migration, VM termination, creation and removal of connection between VMs, etc., virtual resources allocation in response to a resource allocation request, forwarding of virtual resource state information, exchange of configuration and state information of hardware resources, and so on.
A reference point Vn-Nf indicates an execution environment to be provided to the VNF by the NFVI.
A reference point Or-Vnfm is used for a resource-related request (of validation, reservation (reservation), or allocation, etc.) by the VNF-manager (VNFM) and forwarding of configuration information to the VNFM, and collection of VNF state information.
A reference point Or-Vi is used for a resource reservation request and a resource allocation request from the NFVO, and exchange of virtual resource configuration and state information (for details, reference may be made to Non Patent Literature 1).
FIG. 2 is cited from FIG. 6.2 (Information elements in different context) on page 40 of Non Patent Literature 1. An instantiation input parameter is input.
Referring to FIG. 2, a network service descriptor (Network Service Descriptor: NSD) is a network service deployment template for referencing other descriptors that describe components constituting a network service (NS).
A VNF descriptor (VNF Descriptor: VNFD) is a deployment template that describes a VNF in terms of deployment and operational behavior requirements.
The VNFD is mainly used by the VNFM in VNF instantiation (instantiation) and VNF instance lifecycle management. The VNFD is used for a network service and management and orchestration of virtualized resources on the NFVI (automation of deployment/setting/management of a computer system/middleware/service) by the NFVO. The VNFD also contains connectivity, interface and KPIs requirements that can be used by NFV-MANO functional blocks to establish appropriate Virtual Links within the NFVI between its VNFC instances, or between a VNF instance and the endpoint interface to the other network functions.
A VNF Forwarding Graph Descriptor (VNFFGD) is a deployment template that describes a network service topology or a part of the topology by referring to the VNFs, PNFs, and Virtual Links connecting those VNFs and PNFs.
A virtual link descriptor (Virtual Link Descriptor: VLD) is a deployment template that describes resource requirements necessary for links between the VNFs, between the PNFs, and between NS endpoints (endpoints) that can be used by the NFVI.
A physical network function descriptor (Physical Network Function Descriptor: PNFD) describes connectivity (connectivity), interface and KPIs requirements of a virtual link, for a function of an attached physical network. The PNFD is needed when a physical device is incorporated into an NS, and facilitates addition of a network.
The NSD, the VNFFGD, and the VLD are included in the NS catalog (Network Service Catalogue in FIG. 2), and the VNFD is included in the VNF catalogue (VNF Catalogue in FIG. 2) as the VNF package.
An NS or a VNF instantiation operation is performed from the OSS/BSS or the VNFM to the NFVO. As a result of the instantiation operation, each record indicating a newly created instance is created. Each record to be created based on information to be given by each descriptor and additional runtime information related to a component instance provides data for modeling a network service (NS) instance state, for example.
As types of the instance records (of NFV Instances) to be created, there may be listed the following types, for example:                Network Service Record (NSR);        VNFFG Record (VNFFGR);        Virtual Link Record (VLR);        VNF (Virtualized Network Function) Record (VNFR); and        PNF (Physical Network Function) Record (PNFR).        
Information elements of the NSR, the VNFR, the VNFFGR, and the VVLR provide a data item group necessary for modeling states of an NS instance, a VNF instance, a VNFFG instance, and a VL instance.
The PNF Record (PNFR) indicates an instance related to a pre-existing PNF which is part of an NS and contains a set of runtime attributes regarding PNF information (including connectivity relevant to the NFVO).
An example of a relationship among VNF, VNFCs (VNF Components) and VDU (Virtualization Deployment Unit) will be described, with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 schematically illustrates an example where VNFC is set for each logical interface in a VNF obtained by virtualizing an S-GW (Serving gateway). Each VDU is an entity used for an information model configured to support description of partial or whole deployment and operational behaviors of the VNF. VNFI configured to provide an implementation infrastructure of the VNF includes a virtual computing, a virtual storage, and a virtual network, each virtualized on a virtualization layer such as a hypervisor. There is provided a virtual machine on a virtualization layer (where the virtual machine includes a virtual CPU (Central Processing Unit), a virtual memory, a virtual storage, and a guest OS (Operating System)), with an application being executed on the guest OS. Compute, Storage, and Network below the virtualization layer schematically represent hardware resources such as a CPU, a storage, and a network interface controller (Network Interface Controller: NIC). Vn-Nf represents an execution environment to be provided to the VNF by the NFVI.
In FIG. 3, where SGW is constituted by VNF, VNFC is configured for each logical interface, logical interfaces S11, Gx, and S5/S8-C with respect to C-Plane (Control Plane) are collectively defined as one VDU (VM), and logical interfaces S1U, S5/S8-U, and S12 with respect to U-Plane are collectively defined as one VDU (VM). C in S5/S8-C represents a control plane (Control Plane). U in the S1U and S5/S8-U represents a user plane (User-plane).
In EPC, S11 is a control plane interface between MME and SGW, S5/S8 is a user plane interface between SGW and PGW, SlU is an interface between eNodeB (evolved NodeB) and Core Network, Gx is an interface between PGW and PCRF (Policy and Charging Rules Function), S11 is an interface between MME and S-GW, S12 is an interface between UTRAN (Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network) and S-GW.
Each element of NFV is listed and summarized in Tables 1 and 2 below.
FIG. 4B is cited from FIG. B.2: VNF Package on-boarding message flow of Non-Patent Literature 1. FIG. 4A is cited from 7.2.1.2 Operations on page 72 of Non-Patent Literature 1 (“7.2.1 VNF Package management” of “7.2 Interfaces concerning Virtualised Network Functions” on page 71). Main steps for VNF Package on-boarding are as follows. Note that VNF Package on-boarding refers to a process of submitting (submit) VNF Package to NFVO to be included in a catalog. The NFVO verifies (verify) integrity and authenticity of a template supplied from a sender (sender), and, in VNF Package on-boarding, a software image provided in a VNF Package is catalogued in NFVI-Pops (Network Function Virtualization Infrastructure Point of Presence) using support of VIM.
1. Sender submits a VNF Package to NFVO for on-boarding VNFD (VNF Descriptor) using the operation On-board VNF Package of VNF Management interface (VNF Package Management interface). As described in Description of FIG. 4A, the operation of On-board VNF Package submits and validates the VNF Package, and upon successful completion, the VNF Package is stored in the VNF Catalogue and can be used VNF lifecycle management.
2. NFVO validates the VNFD (Validate VNFD).
3. NFVO notifies the catalogue (Notify Catalog).
4. NFVO makes VM image(s) available to each VIM and uploads the VIM images(s) to VIM (Upload image(s)).
Expansion into VNF Package and VM image file is entirely executed in VNF Package on-boarding.
5. VIM acknowledges successful uploading of the image (Ack image(s) uploaded; an Ack: (Acknowledge) response is returned).
6. NFVO acknowledges the VNF Package on-boarding (Ack VNF Package On-boarding; an Ack response is returned to a sending source (Sender)).
It should be noted that a VNF Package refers to a package of a VM image (virtual machine image file), VNF Descriptor (VNFD), etc., constituting a VNF. In Table 3 below, a list of terms related to data file registration management is summarized (some terms in the list of Table 3 also appear as function entities in Table 1; the terms are briefly explained in Table 3).
TABLE 1Functional EntityDescriptionOSS/BSSComprehensively performs operations/businesssupport.A plurality of EMSs and Orchestrator are deployedon a low-order layer of OSS/BSS.OrchestratorOrchestration across a plurality of VIMsManagement of NS (Network Service) deploymenttemplates and VNF packagesManagement of instantiation and lifecyclemanagement of NSsManagement of instantiation of VNFMManagement of VNF instantiation in coordinationwith VNFMValidation and authorization of NFVI resourcerequest from VNFMManagement of integrity and visibility of NSinstances through their lifecycleManagement of relationship between NS instancesand VNF instances, using NFV instances RepositoryTopology management of NS instancesAutomated management of NS instancesVNF-ManagerPerforms VNF lifecycle management * and eventnotification management.* Instantiation, Auto-Scaling, Auto-Healing,Update, and so onVirtualizedPerforms resource management and control ofInfrastructureNFV infrastructure as follows:Manager (VIM)Management of computing, storage, and networkresourcesResource allocation in response to a requestMonitoring of a fault state of NFV InfrastructureMonitoring of resource information of NFVInfrastructure
TABLE 2Functional EntityDescriptionService VND andDefines information templates that becomeInfrastructurenecessary for deploying each Network ServiceDescriptionand each VNFNSD: a template that describes requirements andconstraint conditions necessary for deployment ofthe NSVLD: describes resource requirements of alogical link connecting VNFs or connectingPNFs that constitute NSVNFGD: a template that describes a logicaltopology for and assignment of NSVNFD: a template that describes requirementsand constraint conditions necessary for deployingVNFPNFD: describes, for a physical networkfunction, connectivity, external interface, andKPIs requirements of a VL.NS CatalogueRepository of NSsManagement of NS deployment templates (NSD,VLD, VNFFGD)VNF CatalogueDescribes repository of each VNF.Management of each VNF package (VNFD,software images, manifest files, etc.)NFV InstancesHolds instance information of all the VNFs andRepositoryall the NSs.Information on each instance is described inRecord.Record is updated according to lifecycle of eachinstance.NFVI ResourcesHolds information of NFVI resources (NFVIRepositoryresources as abstracted by VIM acrossoperator's Infrastructure Domains) that areavailable/reserved/allocated, for abstractionVNFRefers to a virtualized Network Function andrefers to a VM (e.g., MME, SGW, PGW or thelike) in which an EPC application is installed,being configured with VNF.EMSPerforms management of FCAPS (FCAPS: Fault,Configuration, Accounting, Performance andSecurity) of VNF.NFVIA resource infrastructure in which VNF isexecuted. Comprises computing, a storage, anda network. Physical resources are abstracted byhypervisor and abstracted resources are managedand controlled by VIM and are provided to VNF.
TABLE 3TermDescriptionData fileGeneric term for files uploaded such as VNFPackage and VM imagesVNF PackageCollection of VM image, VNFD, etc.,constituting VNFVM imageVM image fileCatalogFunction unit that manages VNF Package inNFVOVM imageFunction unit that manages VM image in VIMmanagementwork terminalTerminal on which a maintenance operatoroperates, Terminal storing Data file, etc.OSS etc.Operation Support System. Integratedmanagement of multiple NFVOs. Performsoperation instruction to NFVOs base on arequest from a maintenance operator.NVFOIntegrated management of multiple VIMs.Performs operation instruction to VIM based ona request from OSS.VIMInfrastructure management. Performs operationof VM and management of Physical server.PMPhysical server on which VM operates